Snail with no shell please help

[Krisvalkyrie]

I came over to my tank to see my fish pecking at a snail.  It isn't too unusual, they often have algae on their shells.  What was unusual was that it was nekkid.

They had been having some shell problems from not enough calcium in the water + growing fast (they keep eating the algae tabs I put in for the pleco)  I have been adding calcium, and they were looking better.  However this mystery snail after further inspection was out of its shell.  The shell is still in the tank, but it was at the top of the tank getting nibbled by guppies and its shell was at the bottom of the tank laying empty.  Why would a mystery snail come out of its shell?  I put it in a betta bowl (sans betta) with its shell.  will it crawl back in?  It is still alive...

Kris

[imagirlgeek]

Re: Snail with no shell please help

Hi Kris,

Well, I have to say that I don't have any snails as pets...just food for my pets...:)  But your post made me giggle.  I imagined the poor little nekkid snail probably mortified that it was all exposed.  I had to do a search and find out if this was normal.

What I found was that snails don't leave their shells any more that we leave our bones.  apparently they grow with the snail.  So if he's missing his entire shell he probably isn't going to make it.   :(  But you did the right thing by isolating him.  IF there is enough calcium in the water and he has a smidge of the shell still attached, it might regrow.  

Good luck!

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Snail with no shell please help

How are you adding calcium to the tank?

[Krisvalkyrie]

Re: Snail with no shell please help

some liquid stuff called Reef complete.  They said it should help the snails.

Kris

[Krisvalkyrie]

Re: Snail with no shell please help

Basically, the shell looks fine - slight split at the opening (like I saw in pictures of snails that grow too fast...but other than that is big and healthy looking.  It seems to be intact other than that.  The snails have been breeding a lot, though already 2 batches of eggs have fallen into the tank.  

However there are now 5 batches of eggs on the tank.

The snail didn't make it, but I am trying to figure out what happened so hopefully it won't happen to another snail

Kris

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Snail with no shell please help

I would be careful with dosing some of those things.....there needs to be some sort of balance which I'm sure the freshwater system lacks and that will cause spikes in certain parameters.

[imagirlgeek]

Re: Snail with no shell please help

Here's what I found for adding calcium and changing water hardness for snails...

"Effects of Water Hardness on Snails' Shells

Snails require the calcium, magnesium, and other minerals to grow and maintain their shells. If their water is too acidic and/or soft, their shells may begin to dissolve. If you see snails with holes in their shells, the water's hardness is too low (it is soft).  To increase the hardness of an aquarium or pond gradually and continually, oyster shells (sold for chickens, etc. at a farm feed store), crushed coral gravel (sold for marine tanks), or cuttle bones (sold for caged birds) may be added in small amounts. They can be put in with the substrate/gravel on the bottom, continued in a bag in the tank/pond, or put in a bag in the filter. These will all leach calcium over time into the water."

I thought this was interesting.  I never considered cuttle bones to change the hardness of the water...might test that one in a cup of aquarium water to see the effects myself.

[mahoro]

Re: Snail with no shell please help

adding calcium stright to your water will mess up the hardness, just go to the pet store and pick up some cuttlebones, its usually in the bird section or for turtles...  i used it in all my tanks in small portions, it didn't change the hardness of the water at all...
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...upplement.html   you can probly read that, lots of good info...

[Krisvalkyrie]

Re: Snail with no shell please help

Thanks!